West Bengal Assembly Passes Bill to Keep CM Mamata Banerjee out of Lokayukta

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will not be interrogated in cases related to corruption as per the West Bengal Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2018, which was passed in the state’s Legislative Assembly on Thursday. The CM office has been kept out of the purview of the Lokayukta.
The amendment in the West Bengal Lokayukta Act 2003, which was enacted by the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government, will also ensure that no public servant is questioned without the state government’s approval. According to the bill, this new provision is in line with Section 14 (1) (a) of Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013, which also protects the prime minister from similar cases.
“Amending Section 8A so as to exclude any investigation of any complaint relating to allegation of corruption against the Chief Minister relating to public order and any investigation of the complaint against a public servant without the approval of the state government,” a gazette earlier issued by the government said.
The Lokayukta will be formed by the minister-in charge of Parliamentary affairs, the CM, the assembly speaker and the leader of the Opposition. The earlier bill, however, had not given such exemption for the CM.